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It is getting to be an almost expected event every year around October in that FlightFactor/VMax brings out a new version or an update to one or both of their Boeing 757/767 twins. And here is October 2018's Boeing 757 update in v2.2.5.

The last update in v2.1.13 was a major upgrade, and in fact it was a sensational one in keeping the aircraft right up to date and relevant. So what can we expect this time around to match that release. Well first there was the open ended question of VR (Virtual Reality) that was noted as coming, but not implemented on that major upgrade? but it is now available on this new release version.

In reality FlightFactor has become lately more reactionary than progressive, in more the "wait and see" and now "proven" until implementing the features, and so it is here with VR, They have been in waiting for it to mature and settle down in X-Plane than just being first one in and getting all the brick-backs and buggy issues. But now VR is here for the "Rocket" Boeing, so it should be a great dimensional experience. Added is VR (oculus and vive) compatibility with two modes in native and custom. And added also is a VR test page to test VR controller configurations.

There are two packages available for the FlightFactor B757 Series. One is the B757-200 single Professional pack. Second is the Extended Professional package with three aircraft included; B757-200 (below left), B757-300 (below right) and the B757-200 F (Freighter, above). And all the aircraft come with two engine choices of the Rolls Royce RB211-535E4 and the Pratt & Whitney PW2037. You can upgrade from the single B757-200 to the full (well worth it) Extended Professional package for US$20.﻿

Ground Vehicles and Static elements

Notable change is the ground service vehicles. All have undergone a major overhaul and even regional shift. Gone (finally) are the Soviet era tonka style and incoming is a more modern westernised style of vehicle.

Included are: APU (Auxiliary Power Unit), High Pressure Unit, Passenger Bus, Stairs, Fuel Truck, De-Ice Truck, Aircraft Cooling Unit (ACU), Two Baggage Loaders (LSU), Waste unit and rear (Cargo) loader. The set is certainly very good now, but not quite as good as using the JARDesign GHD (Ground Handling Delue) plugin. For one there is only one set of stairs, and you even lose that if you set the gate configuration? There is no food service truck, and they are not animated like GHD either... but overall it is a big advance than the outdated vehicles before.

Lighting

The cockpit and cabin textures had a huge overall upgrade in v2.1.13. The feel in the cockpit was thankfully lighter than the dark drama feel of the early FF Boeing 757's. This time around it is the lighting that gets the attention...

... although it is all still quite dramatic, there is a more mature and realistic feel about the cockpit now. The lighting was always quite good in here, but it now has been completely revised with new lighting technology.

The lighting changes at first feel subtle, but they are now really good (note the featured red instrument selection, as you can have white or red or a mix of the two colours). The panel lighting can still look quite too heavy at the full settings...

... but it is very clear and gives great shading. But get creative and find the right adjustment tone and the instrument panel looks amazing.

Note the instrument effects called blick strength, and glow. These are custom effects that sort of wash the lighting out a little... certainly a personal choice as the effects can slightly blur out the instruments, but I absolutely love it. It does come with a little setting issue in that the custom settings are quite widely spaced, so half setting is not enough blick, and the next setting is full blick? you feel you are really missing a setting in the middle for perfection.

Storm and overhead cockpit lighting is also very good and quite bright. It makes aircraft setup in the cockpit great and easy at night. Settings are OHP "OVRHD" full (Storm), or the same side panel adjustment in "FLOOD", it can be slightly confusing because there is another lighting knob "OVRD", but it adjusts the instrument back lighting?

The are two map lights over each pilot, again both are brightness adjustable and excellent.

If your follow X-PlaneReviews you will know that I am very particular about cockpit lighting on approach. A nice correctly set lighting setting can be the difference between total realism and or that average feel in the cockpit on the approach phase, in other words if the cockpit is dark and instrument lighting is set accordingly... here it is certainly very good, but it comes with a few quirks. In the freighter version there is no cockpit door, and as the door is set here further back as you enter the freight deck. (nightmares of the FedEx employee with a hammer!).

The cabin/rest area lighting is separated and adjustable from the cockpit lighting (very nice!) but it can also reflect light badly back into the cockpit unless it is toned down for landing, which is highly realistic...

... however when toned down and all the overhead lighting turned down as well I still got some rear reflective lighting? Then a few minutes later I didn't? as the reflection lighting disappeared? and then it was perfectly dark in the cockpit. My guess it is the PBR effectes not adjusting to the settings more than the actual lighting set on the aircraft, so it is correct and it does work... and when it is set in this condition the cockpit dark mode feel is certainly excellent and perfect for the approach and landing phase.

Undercarriage sequencing

A lot of time and work went into getting the undercarriage extraction and retraction speed and more realistic sequencing of the movement of the gear, it is noted now as perfect.

Tiller can now be operated manually from the pilot's seat... but it can get confused if you use an addon yaw joystick, but if you want pure and authentic control it does work well.

Weather and Terrain Radar (VAR/WX+T) is still the best in the business.

Notes include ADI (Attitude Director Indicator) and horizontal situation indicator (HSI) options now available on the flight instruments, the CDU FIX page has been improved, now you can enter both: brg and dist at the same time to draw both things on the ND, with the circle and radial at the same time. The tilt indication on EHSI (Electronic Horizontal Situation Indicator) has also been fixed.

The spoiler shacking effect is now dependent on SHAKE ON TURB checkbox, but I found with the "SHAKE ON" set, the turbulence effect was overwhelming with flappy wings, so I turned it off, I will note I fly with xEnviro active, so my guess is the METAR date is out with high winds.

There is also a new failure scenario system, the new version allows one to build large scale scenarios with failures events, or multiple failures that relate to each other, very good for realism, but bad for your everyday flying as the maintenance woes stack up. There are now more in-cockpit sounds (more now in 3d) to add in to the already comprehensive sound set, it is very good with the many options for advanced sound and adjustments.

Fixed or items that have had attention to are: fixed nav light (always out on FlightFactor Boeing Twins?), cabin door (now works), nose wheel steering with BetterPushback fixes... text lighting on MCP (Mode Control Panel) and also fixed are more realistic tiller and pedal algorithms.

An excuse for some nice images

Early evening departure from KORD (Chicago) to KSEA (Seattle) was wet and nasty, and I am full to the brim at a 219,000lbs of aircraft, fuel and cargo weight.

Personally I like flying with the heavy weight, as you have to be more flexible on speed and in the vertical pitch to get the right balance of getting the aircraft up to cruise altitude (FL300). Once above the weather you get the dying sun in your eyes as you head west...

The reflection of course is on how far this Boeing 757 from FlightFactor has come in the last twelve months. As this Boeing 757 originally comes from another age and long way further back from November 2013.

Strange about the age as for one thing this Boeing 757 doesn't feel is old, in fact it is a long, long way past that age, even to those that are highly familiar with the aircraft.

Summary

The April 2018 update of v2.1.13 for FlightFactor's/VMax Boeing 757 Professional Series was outstanding then, and in reality you didn't expect another update for the rest of this year. But no the updates keep on coming, as here is another major step with v2.2.5.

Major reason for the update was VR (Virtual Reality) compatibility, but a few other nice things have had attention as well, with lighting and mostly in the cockpit with new lighting technology. The ground service vehicles have also been (finally) overhauled and and now are made more of western designs than the older Soviet outdated trucks, and there are a few more vehicles as well. The rest of the update is still an extensive list of fixes and bugs that just adds in more functionality and more details to get the B757 as near to perfection as you could get in any study grade simulation.

So for the majority this is another nice tick upwards, but for those fliers that haven't yet flown the Boeing 757 Series from FlightFactor, then you are missing out on something special, and if you like medium sized airlines or like to haul freight nationally with the expanded version, then you can't go past this series... highly recommended.